So what happened to the K-3 ?

mattdm · 09-10-2012, 08:35 PM

I still have my hopes up for a refreshed flash lineup....

Alizarine · 09-10-2012, 08:44 PM

Originally posted by ogl

K-5II doesn't look as flagship...Even processor is old. It seems to me one more camera will be announced on the first day of Photokina

If Pentax officially declares the K-5 IIs as "the" flagship, I'm giving up all hope for the K-3.

**mike.hiran** · 09-10-2012, 08:56 PM

I thought I remember hearing that Pentax was planning on having a 4 camera line-up (not including the 645d) and that the k30 was not supposed to be their entry level? I suppose that explains why the pricing on the k30 has been falling so fast. I still think a 3 camera line up would be better, but I'm not sure if it would be better for Pentax to have another camera below the k30 or above the k5II. Maybe with the k-01, Pentax thinks they have something below the k30? But it being a mirrorless seems like it shouldn't be considered part of this continuum IMO. I'm not sure the k5II fills the flagship role for the next 2 years given it's so similar to the k5... there's gotta be something more.... I hope!

sb in ak · 09-10-2012, 09:03 PM

Hasn't Pentax declared the K5II as the flagship? We can hope for a Photokina K3 announcement but as someone else said, dethroning a flagship after two weeks is sort of odd.

That said, the K5II is just plain odd. I mean, I'm sure it's going to be a great camera, but it lacks features of the lesser K30. No focus peaking, Prime M, etc. would leave me to believe that the K5II is not the true flagship and they are intentionally crippling its features so folks go for the K3.

Blue · 09-10-2012, 09:05 PM

Originally posted by vagrant10

I thought I remember hearing that Pentax was planning on having a 4 camera line-up (not including the 645d) and that the k30 was not supposed to be their entry level? I suppose that explains why the pricing on the k30 has been falling so fast. I still think a 3 camera line up would be better, but I'm not sure if it would be better for Pentax to have another camera below the k30 or above the k5II. Maybe with the k-01, Pentax thinks they have something below the k30? But it being a mirrorless seems like it shouldn't be considered part of this continuum IMO. I'm not sure the k5II fills the flagship role for the next 2 years given it's so similar to the k5... there's gotta be something more.... I hope!

K-01
K-30
K-5 II
K-5 IIs

Alizarine · 09-10-2012, 10:32 PM

Originally posted by sb in ak

Hasn't Pentax declared the K5II as the flagship? We can hope for a Photokina K3 announcement but as someone else said, dethroning a flagship after two weeks is sort of odd. That said, the K5II is just plain odd. I mean, I'm sure it's going to be a great camera, but it lacks features of the lesser K30. No focus peaking, Prime M, etc. would leave me to believe that the K5II is not the true flagship and they are intentionally crippling its features so folks go for the K3.

Just read Pentax's email to me. Yes it's the flagship now..... Too bad. No K-3, then. Either it's for CP+ or (!) 2 years more again... that said, it's like Pentax didn't do their homework after Photokina 2010... just improved their previous project. I agree that while the II and IIs are not bad from a Pentax user perspective, it looks bad the Pentax's corporate image...

Caat · 09-10-2012, 10:58 PM

We could still see a K-3 but given Pentax has declared the K-5II to be the DSLR flagship in its own marketing it doesnt bode well. Unless the K-3 is mirrored and therefore not a DSLR, which doesn't seem very likely.

DeadJohn · 09-10-2012, 11:09 PM

The K-5ii is a good camera but the lack of features that exist in the K-30 is disappointing. I hope that new info reveals the K-5ii has focus peaking and other features from the K-30. Either that, or quickly announce one more model that is a true flagship, combining the best of both cameras.

-Ricoh has a plan and we will be confused.

richard balonglong · 09-10-2012, 11:19 PM

I think there will be always a K-3 in the near future, but the question would be if it's an aps-c dslr again, or a full frame one. These new Pentax products today are a bit dissapointing. The improvement of the K-5 is so little, even for the video mode.

Asahiflex · 09-10-2012, 11:21 PM

I think the K-3 will be announced one day before the start of Photokina. Just like the K-5 in 2010, which was announced one day before opening (the K-r was announced one week earlier than that).

sb in ak · 09-10-2012, 11:30 PM

Originally posted by DeadJohn

The K-5ii is a good camera but the lack of features that exist in the K-30 is disappointing. I hope that new info reveals the K-5ii has focus peaking and other features from the K-30. Either that, or quickly announce one more model that is a true flagship, combining the best of both cameras.

-Ricoh has a plan and we will be confused.

Personally, I think this will happen sooner than later. It just doesn't make sense not to have a camera that encompasses the features of the K30 and K5II...and hopefully a little more.

twitch · 09-10-2012, 11:34 PM

Originally posted by Asahiflex

I think the K-3 will be announced one day before the start of Photokina. Just like the K-5 in 2010, which was announced one day before opening (the K-r was announced one week earlier than that).

I think there is a decent chance of that, I certainly hope you are right.

LamyTax · 09-10-2012, 11:35 PM

What “happened“ to it? It will be released early next year, like the rumours said.
Pentax is a small company and can't do everything at once. Full frame will also come in due time.
For now, AF at -3EV... are you guys listening!?

janneman · 09-10-2012, 11:44 PM

Pity.
I think the K-5II is a great camera, I really never could find a fault with the K-5. Maybe Pentax feels (and I cannot disagree completely) that the K-5 is a benchmark camera and that they plan on having a K-5 forever and ever... just different silghtly enhanced versions in more or less the same body. No need to buy a back up K-5 as I already have two but I know that I will be safe when one breaks down due to circumstances beyond the limitations of the body. (Even a Pentax dslr's has its limits, I have handled a few dslr that were supposed to be rugged and the only one that felt more rugged was the Oly E-1, which I abused a lot. I got it back (2nd hand) in the days when there were no sealed Pentax cameras and I needed one, but I never really "liked"it like I like Pentax... Oly E-1 to Oly E-3 was like going from a Landrover to one of those modern cars that boast 4x4 just because it sounds great.. Now that is a mistake Pentax did not make).

K-3 was not meant to be FF IMHO. If there would be Pentax FF, I suspect new naming like "L-5"or "M-.."
K-3 was rumored to have the 23Mp sensor of the F3200/A55. Granted it looks bad on the Sony one but Nikon did a better job...
If you look at what Pentax did with the K-5 sensor, I am quite sure the results in those cameras are by no means an indication of what a K-3 image could have looked like.
However even after a year it did not materialize in Pentax.
Two possibilities (among others ofcourse):
-After a year of trial and error , Pentax/Ricoh decided they could not improve the sensor enough to make a new camera to their liking, so K-3 with old sensor = K-5II.
-Sony/Nikon are really scared of what Pentax can do with sensors they decided not to release it even after more than a year...

janneman · 09-10-2012, 11:50 PM

Originally posted by LamyTax

What “happened“ to it? It will be released early next year, like the rumours said.
Pentax is a small company and can't do everything at once. Full frame will also come in due time.
For now, AF at -3EV... are you guys listening!?

Uhhm anything announced now will be released end of this year/early next year... K-5 may be something else because it is not entirely new... If they announce K-3 ( and the rumours did also say "Photokina") later this year or early next year, we won't see it before may/june..

The more they wait with FF the better it has to be. They should not try to make an "entry level FF" like the D600 as I suspect that wont be a big enough leap form even the K-5 for Pentax.
The D600 will outshine the K-5 in what Nikon is always better at, like flash etc.. but they want people to by the D600 only to lust for a D800 after a few months, they don't ant the D600 to last. So IQ will be "lowered" to make people jump upwards sooner.

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09-10-2012, 08:35 PM	#16
mattdm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,948	I still have my hopes up for a refreshed flash lineup....

09-10-2012, 08:44 PM	#17
Alizarine Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Manila Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,185	Originally posted by ogl K-5II doesn't look as flagship...Even processor is old. It seems to me one more camera will be announced on the first day of Photokina If Pentax officially declares the K-5 IIs as "the" flagship, I'm giving up all hope for the K-3.

09-10-2012, 08:56 PM	#18
mike.hiran Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Location: portland Photos: Albums Posts: 1,491	I thought I remember hearing that Pentax was planning on having a 4 camera line-up (not including the 645d) and that the k30 was not supposed to be their entry level? I suppose that explains why the pricing on the k30 has been falling so fast. I still think a 3 camera line up would be better, but I'm not sure if it would be better for Pentax to have another camera below the k30 or above the k5II. Maybe with the k-01, Pentax thinks they have something below the k30? But it being a mirrorless seems like it shouldn't be considered part of this continuum IMO. I'm not sure the k5II fills the flagship role for the next 2 years given it's so similar to the k5... there's gotta be something more.... I hope!

09-10-2012, 09:03 PM	#19
sb in ak Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 612	Hasn't Pentax declared the K5II as the flagship? We can hope for a Photokina K3 announcement but as someone else said, dethroning a flagship after two weeks is sort of odd. That said, the K5II is just plain odd. I mean, I'm sure it's going to be a great camera, but it lacks features of the lesser K30. No focus peaking, Prime M, etc. would leave me to believe that the K5II is not the true flagship and they are intentionally crippling its features so folks go for the K3.

09-10-2012, 09:05 PM	#20
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Originally posted by vagrant10 I thought I remember hearing that Pentax was planning on having a 4 camera line-up (not including the 645d) and that the k30 was not supposed to be their entry level? I suppose that explains why the pricing on the k30 has been falling so fast. I still think a 3 camera line up would be better, but I'm not sure if it would be better for Pentax to have another camera below the k30 or above the k5II. Maybe with the k-01, Pentax thinks they have something below the k30? But it being a mirrorless seems like it shouldn't be considered part of this continuum IMO. I'm not sure the k5II fills the flagship role for the next 2 years given it's so similar to the k5... there's gotta be something more.... I hope! K-01 K-30 K-5 II K-5 IIs

09-10-2012, 10:32 PM	#21
Alizarine Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Manila Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,185	Originally posted by sb in ak Hasn't Pentax declared the K5II as the flagship? We can hope for a Photokina K3 announcement but as someone else said, dethroning a flagship after two weeks is sort of odd. That said, the K5II is just plain odd. I mean, I'm sure it's going to be a great camera, but it lacks features of the lesser K30. No focus peaking, Prime M, etc. would leave me to believe that the K5II is not the true flagship and they are intentionally crippling its features so folks go for the K3. Just read Pentax's email to me. Yes it's the flagship now..... Too bad. No K-3, then. Either it's for CP+ or (!) 2 years more again... that said, it's like Pentax didn't do their homework after Photokina 2010... just improved their previous project. I agree that while the II and IIs are not bad from a Pentax user perspective, it looks bad the Pentax's corporate image...

09-10-2012, 10:58 PM	#22
Caat Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: United Kingdom Photos: Albums Posts: 927	We could still see a K-3 but given Pentax has declared the K-5II to be the DSLR flagship in its own marketing it doesnt bode well. Unless the K-3 is mirrored and therefore not a DSLR, which doesn't seem very likely.

09-10-2012, 11:09 PM	#23
DeadJohn Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,833	The K-5ii is a good camera but the lack of features that exist in the K-30 is disappointing. I hope that new info reveals the K-5ii has focus peaking and other features from the K-30. Either that, or quickly announce one more model that is a true flagship, combining the best of both cameras. -Ricoh has a plan and we will be confused.

09-10-2012, 11:19 PM	#24
richard balonglong Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Baguio City, Philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 350	I think there will be always a K-3 in the near future, but the question would be if it's an aps-c dslr again, or a full frame one. These new Pentax products today are a bit dissapointing. The improvement of the K-5 is so little, even for the video mode.

09-10-2012, 11:21 PM	#25
Asahiflex Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Netherlands Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,795	I think the K-3 will be announced one day before the start of Photokina. Just like the K-5 in 2010, which was announced one day before opening (the K-r was announced one week earlier than that).

09-10-2012, 11:30 PM	#26
sb in ak Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 612	Originally posted by DeadJohn The K-5ii is a good camera but the lack of features that exist in the K-30 is disappointing. I hope that new info reveals the K-5ii has focus peaking and other features from the K-30. Either that, or quickly announce one more model that is a true flagship, combining the best of both cameras. -Ricoh has a plan and we will be confused. Personally, I think this will happen sooner than later. It just doesn't make sense not to have a camera that encompasses the features of the K30 and K5II...and hopefully a little more.

09-10-2012, 11:34 PM	#27
twitch Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,571	Originally posted by Asahiflex I think the K-3 will be announced one day before the start of Photokina. Just like the K-5 in 2010, which was announced one day before opening (the K-r was announced one week earlier than that). I think there is a decent chance of that, I certainly hope you are right.

09-10-2012, 11:35 PM	#28
LamyTax Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 376	What “happened“ to it? It will be released early next year, like the rumours said. Pentax is a small company and can't do everything at once. Full frame will also come in due time. For now, AF at -3EV... are you guys listening!?

09-10-2012, 11:44 PM	#29
janneman Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Netherlands Photos: Gallery Posts: 908	Pity. I think the K-5II is a great camera, I really never could find a fault with the K-5. Maybe Pentax feels (and I cannot disagree completely) that the K-5 is a benchmark camera and that they plan on having a K-5 forever and ever... just different silghtly enhanced versions in more or less the same body. No need to buy a back up K-5 as I already have two but I know that I will be safe when one breaks down due to circumstances beyond the limitations of the body. (Even a Pentax dslr's has its limits, I have handled a few dslr that were supposed to be rugged and the only one that felt more rugged was the Oly E-1, which I abused a lot. I got it back (2nd hand) in the days when there were no sealed Pentax cameras and I needed one, but I never really "liked"it like I like Pentax... Oly E-1 to Oly E-3 was like going from a Landrover to one of those modern cars that boast 4x4 just because it sounds great.. Now that is a mistake Pentax did not make). K-3 was not meant to be FF IMHO. If there would be Pentax FF, I suspect new naming like "L-5"or "M-.." K-3 was rumored to have the 23Mp sensor of the F3200/A55. Granted it looks bad on the Sony one but Nikon did a better job... If you look at what Pentax did with the K-5 sensor, I am quite sure the results in those cameras are by no means an indication of what a K-3 image could have looked like. However even after a year it did not materialize in Pentax. Two possibilities (among others ofcourse): -After a year of trial and error , Pentax/Ricoh decided they could not improve the sensor enough to make a new camera to their liking, so K-3 with old sensor = K-5II. -Sony/Nikon are really scared of what Pentax can do with sensors they decided not to release it even after more than a year...

09-10-2012, 11:50 PM	#30
janneman Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Netherlands Photos: Gallery Posts: 908	Originally posted by LamyTax What “happened“ to it? It will be released early next year, like the rumours said. Pentax is a small company and can't do everything at once. Full frame will also come in due time. For now, AF at -3EV... are you guys listening!? Uhhm anything announced now will be released end of this year/early next year... K-5 may be something else because it is not entirely new... If they announce K-3 ( and the rumours did also say "Photokina") later this year or early next year, we won't see it before may/june.. The more they wait with FF the better it has to be. They should not try to make an "entry level FF" like the D600 as I suspect that wont be a big enough leap form even the K-5 for Pentax. The D600 will outshine the K-5 in what Nikon is always better at, like flash etc.. but they want people to by the D600 only to lust for a D800 after a few months, they don't ant the D600 to last. So IQ will be "lowered" to make people jump upwards sooner.